Sinful Love
by Freakkofnaturee
Summary: A murder leaves Zuko alone, but when the gang visits, one will be by Zuko's side, to comfort him and fill the void.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer; I own nothing of Avatar: The Last Avatar**

* * *

Our story begins in the Fire Nation, prosperous and powerful. Now that the war is over, the nation is once again a nice, peaceful place. They have a lot of rebuilding to do, and a lot of relationships to repair with the other three nations, but that was nothing Fire Lord Zuko couldn't handle. After everything he had been through, he had more than enough determination and focus to make the Fire Nation a well-seen place again. Traveling the world on his search for the Avatar, seeing the war first-hand, it changed him. It made him want to change the way the rest of the world viewed the Fire Nation. He didn't want them to see it for how it was while his father was ruling it. He wanted to make a new name for himself and for his country.

It all began on a calm afternoon, now in the new era of the Fire Nation. It was still quite warm outside, but there was just a slight breeze that could give you goose bumps at just the right moment. The sun was setting, casting off vibrant shades of orange, yellow, red, and purple. They could be seen amongst the horizon or reflecting against the many bodies of water. It was a perfect way to end the day. A perfect beginning to what would be a perfect night, if it weren't for the evil lurking around. No, this perfect night was to be disturbed, disrupted. Its perfection would be misused, by some following their own selfish, evil intentions.


	2. Chapter 1

The blazing afternoon slowly turned to a cool night. The sky had replaced the light of the sun with the glow of the powerful moon, surrounded by many bright stars, each shining from their own spot. The night was just as beautiful as the day, but its beauty would not last.

Inside the palace was Zuko, who was accompanied by Mai. She had been there since the war ended, since Zuko was crowned Fire Lord, and Zuko liked it that way. He had grown much closer to her since then, closer than ever before. Before they were this hot and cold couple, barely finding a reason just to stay together. Now they were infinitely together, strengthened by everything they had been through. His feelings towards her were stronger than ever. Some might say that as the Fire Lord, he could do better, but when he looked at her, all he saw was perfection, and nobody could deny that they had attraction. There was passion in their eyes whenever they were with one another, unmistakable love. And nobody could take that love away from them. Or so it seemed, anyway.

"I'll be right back," Zuko said to Mai, gently kissing her before getting up from the bed in the master bedroom where, every night, he would lay with his love. Zuko had just remembered something he needed to do quickly before he could go to sleep.

Mai smiled briefly as she watched Zuko walk away. She knew he would be back soon, she was use to this. Zuko could be forgetful at times. What with being the Fire Lord and having so much to remember, it wasn't unusual for him to just recall something that needed to be done quickly at this time of night. But when he would return, she would be there, waiting for him with open arms and an open heart.

Never in a million years would Mai have pictured herself being here, being the love of the Fire Lord, of Zuko especially. She couldn't say she hadn't ever thought about it, growing up she had always had a small crush on him. But once he was banished, any hope she had of them ever being together disappeared. Having anything to do with a traitor of the Fire nation instantly made you a traitor yourself. Just look at what happened to Zuko's uncle, Iroh. He left to help his nephew, and it was as if he was banished too. She just couldn't go through with it. Even when they were reunited after he was welcomed back, things still weren't completely right between them. She always wondered what it was, what was wrong. But now she knew. He wasn't being true to himself. Deep down, he knew what the right thing was to do, and he wouldn't be himself until it was done.

But then, after being away, who knew the war would end, and that Zuko would be a part of ending it, alongside the Avatar. The day the war ended, the day he became Fire Lord, was the day their attraction truly started up again, and she could remember it better than any other day. You don't just forget the day that things finally fall into place and you feel whole.

* * *

Mai stood in the shadows, leaning against a door within the palace. Zuko was standing in the middle of the room, his back turned to her. He was putting his robe on, getting ready for his time of finally being crowned the new Fire Lord, a day that had been long awaited for many years. She shook her head a little as she listened to him moan. She decided he had struggled enough with getting his arm through the robe's sleeve, a challenged posed by his injury. "You need some help with that?"

"Mai!" Zuko's face instantly lit up as he turned around to see Mai there. He opens his arms, as if asking for a hug. "You're ok, they let you out of prison!"

"My uncle pulled some strings." Mai walked up to Zuko, a very small smile on her face. Happiness filled her the moment she saw how excited Zuko was to see her. She knew he stilled liked her. As she held up the robe's sleeve, Zuko slid his arm into it, Mai then fastened his robe. Once done, she laid her hand gently on Zuko's chest. "And it doesn't hurt when the new Fire Lord is your boyfriend."

"So does this mean you don't hate me anymore?"

"I think is means," Mai began, placing her hand on Zuko's cheek. "I actually kind of like you."

Zuko smiled, hearing this made him overjoyed. After being so sure she'd want nothing to do with him, here she was, happy to take him with open arms. He leans in and kisses Mai briefly, before pulling away to stare into her eyes. The way she stared back, he knew she really meant what she said.

After a moment, Mai parts from Zuko for a moment and jabs her finger into his shoulder. "But don't ever," She jabs his shoulder once more. "Break up with me again." She enunciated each word as she spoke it, taking extra care with the last part.

Zuko chuckles. Smiling like an idiot, he pulls Mai back into his embrace, holding her close, knowing this was the first of many long embraces to come.

* * *

Mai sighed. _Back to reality_, she thought. Although her flashbacks always made time pass quickly, Zuko must've had something urgent to do. Usually he would've been back by now.

A glass of water sat by itself on the small table next to Mai's side of the bed. She picked it up and took a quick sip. She expected it to be just like any other ordinary sip, but for some reason, this water didn't taste the same. There was something off about it. It wasn't a dramatic change, but the tasteless water had somehow magically gained the slightest amount of a taste. She took another sip, determined to figure out what it might've been. And another sip, and just one more to make sure.

She shook her head, giving up on trying to figure out what it might've been, replacing the glass where it was before. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't put her finger on what was different.

Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by exhaustion, tiredness. The need to sleep had come over her quickly, and she couldn't avoid it, no matter how much she wanted to stay awake and wait for Zuko to return.

Mai rested her head softly against the pillow, and let her eyes flutter shut, as she slowly drifted into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 2

Zuko walked down the hall and quietly back into the room. He wouldn't surprise Mai, but what he saw when he walked in surprised him. She was asleep. Normally she waited until he returned, waited for him to kiss her goodnight before she fell asleep. Something wasn't right, this was not like her. He swiftly walked over to her and watched her, noticing her breathing was very, very slow, hardly there at all, actually. Zuko's face turned into one of horror when he realized something was definitely not right.

He ran down the halls, and after reaching his office, he wrote a quick note. He was off again, running to the nearest place outside, and the one place he knew he'd find his messenger hawk at. He pushed open the doors, the cool night air hitting his face, but he ignored it. He looked around and spotted his hawk. Tying the note around its leg, he quickly told the hawk to take it to the nearest doctor. The hawk begins to flap its wings and soar off to where it must go.

Zuko walked back inside, knowing he has a moment to spare now. A terrible moment he has to endure as he waits for the arrival of the doctor. He walks to the front door, so that when the doctor does show up, he will be there and be able to quickly take him to Mai.

_Mai…_ he thought to himself. Her name was stuck in his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Not that he minded, but at this moment, his mind kept drifting to the worse scenarios, which he didn't need to be thinking of. He wanted to think positive, to think that he's just overreacting and that she'll be perfectly alright. That she'll wake up in the morning, and he'll be there next to her, and it'll be the same as every morning before.

But it wouldn't be the same. Zuko knew that. He didn't want to believe it, but he had a gut feeling that this was not him just overreacting. He wanted to be hopeful, but hope is hard at times. He could only imagine now what it must've been like for Mai during that first time he came home, his father accepting him again, and then he had to leave her. He left to join the Avatar, to help rid the world of the war, but he still felt awful for leaving her all alone.

Then, after all that time, seeing her in the prison, he was overjoyed, but he knew she wasn't. He saw the hurt in her eyes, saw the way she was pained when she held the letter up to him, the one he had written telling her he was leaving. After that day, he thought he may have lost her forever…

* * *

Zuko sits up in the chair he was just shoved in. He stares at the guards, angry. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"Come on, Zuko," a low voice said from the corner of the room. They brought their head up to face Zuko. "We all know that's a lie."

"Mai," he said, but it came out as more of a whisper. He was shocked, he hadn't expected to see her here. He hadn't expected to see her at all, ever again maybe even. "How did you know I was here?"

"Because I know you so well."

"But, how…?"

Mai rolled her eyes and looks away, still furious with Zuko. "The Warden's my uncle, you idiot."

Zuko groans and brings his hand to his forehead, knowing he was not in for anything good now. He didn't want to hear this from Mai. He didn't want to hear it from anybody. He knew what he did was a mistake, that he left her in the worst way possible, but being reminded of it only made it worse. And being reminded of it from her was almost unbearable.

"The truth is, I guess I don't know you." Mai sighs and grabs out a letter. Not just any letter, the letter Zuko left for her when he left the Fire Nation. "All I get is a letter? You could have at least looked me in the eyes when you ripped out my heart."

"I didn't mean to," Zuko began to say, looking up at Mai, trying to show her how sorry he is, how he never meant for it to end up that way.

"You didn't mean to?" Mai finally moves away from the corner and walks behind Zuko, opening the letter and beginning to read it, so he could hear the words he wrote and feel how much it hurts. "Dear Mai, I'm sorry that you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving."

"Stop! This isn't about you. This is about the Fire Nation."

"Thanks Zuko. That makes me feel all better." She throws the letter at his head. Zuko rubs his head where the letter hits, wishing Mai would just listen to him and try and see it from his perspective. He gets up to face Mai.

"Mai, I never wanted to hurt you. But I have to do this to save my country."

"Save it? You're betraying your country."

"That's not how I see it."

A guard suddenly comes to the doorway of the cell, looking towards Mai. "Ma'am, there's a riot going on. I'm here to protect you."

"I don't need any protection," Mai says as she turns around to face the guard.

Zuko chuckles. "Believe me, she doesn't."

"I'm sorry but I'm under direct orders from your Uncle to make sure nothing happens." The guard walks into the room, following the orders he's been given.

Zuko watches as the guard comes in and gets an idea. He quickly firebends at the guard's feet to distract him. The guard tries to shield Mai while Zuko runs out of the cell, sliding shut the door and locking it to make sure Mai can't get out and ruin his chance to escape.

"Get off of me!" Mai pushes past the guard and over to the cell door, staring at Zuko through it, pleading with him not to do this to her. Not again.

Zuko stares back. Seeing the pain and hurt in Mai's eyes this time, unlike the last. He can't stand it and runs off to the courtyard to meet with the others and finally be out of this place.

* * *

Zuko is snapped back into reality. The end of the memory bringing him back to present time, a time he didn't want to come back to, but he had no choice. He regretted leaving Mai alone then, and even though she may be leaving him now, he knew he had to stay strong and be by her side.

In the distance, Zuko saw it. He saw the doctor walking quickly towards the palace. He signed in relief, thankful that soon he would know what was wrong, and how much time he had left with Mai, if he had any at all.

"I hurried here as fast as I could, Fire Lord Zuko," the doctor said once he reached the palace. Zuko nods and turns, walking back into the palace. The doctor followed behind him.

Once they reach the master bedroom, Zuko directs the doctor to Mai. "I went out of the room for just a little bit earlier, and when I came back she was asleep and barely breathing." As the doctor inspects Mai, his face goes blank. "Is everything alright?"

"No, everything is not alright, Fire Lord Zuko." The doctor shakes his head. "I can't tell what is wrong, there is too little to work with, but she will not make it through the night. I am so sorry."

Zuko attempts to keep his composure, to stay strong until the doctor leaves. "Will you be able to figure out what has happened to her?"

"It may take some time, and I will have to run some tests."

Zuko stares at Mai. "In the morning. Come for her in the morning. For now, I would like to be with her for her last moments here with us."

"Of course, Fire Lord Zuko." He walks over to Zuko, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Take care. I will be back in the morning."

Zuko only looked at the doctor briefly before he walked out. The doctor was smart though, he knew to give Zuko as much time as he could with Mai. As much time as she had left.

Zuko walked over to the bed. He was hesitant at first, but he slid into the bed next to her, just like he would any other time. He picked up her body, so strange now, and held her in his arms. If she was going to die, she was going to die peacefully within his arms. That is how she would've wanted to it be, and that is how he would make it.

Time drifted by agonizingly slow. It seemed like such a long time to Zuko, but it had only been a couple hours before the sun began to rise, and morning was upon them. Zuko looked down into the closed eyes of his love. He couldn't remember when, but sometime in the time he was holding her, she had slowly stopped breathing, and he felt no heartbeat anymore. She was dead. His love was dead, and he couldn't save her. He couldn't bring her back to life. He looked up, out through the window at the sun.

"I don't know who did this to you, Mai. I don't know who or how they did it, but when I find out, they are going to regret this night. Forever."


	4. Chapter 3

"Thank you for coming, all of you. It means a lot to me, especially considering how busy I'm sure you all are," Zuko said to his friends. They were sitting around the long table within the dining hall, the whole gang reunited; Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Zuko. It had all started when he had heard that the Avatar would be in the Fire Nation, and hoping they were all still together, he sent Aang a letter.

_Dear Avatar Aang,_

_I hope all is well. I would be honored if you would join me for dinner tonight. It has been a while and there is a lot I would like to discuss with you._

_Sincerely,_

_Fire Lord Zuko_

_P.S. If the gang is still with you, please bring them along. I would like to talk to them as well._

Of course Aang was still with the gang. They had split up for a little while, traveling home to their own families, but they were a family now. They did spend a lot of time away from another now, but they were always in touch. They had all met in the Fire Nation after planning to reunite and wanting to see Zuko again as well. So when Aang received his letter, it was the perfect opportunity to fulfill their want.

So there they were, sitting around the table in the palace, which was now Zuko's palace. The dining hall was beautiful, along with the rest of the palace. The table was very long and could easily seat at least twenty people, and probably more if needed. The ceilings were high and grand lights hung from them with a crystal chandelier in the middle, brightening the hall greatly so that while conversation went on, everyone could see each other and the marvelous food they were eating.

"What kind of meat is this?" Sokka asked Zuko. Always the meat lover he was. He took a bite of the meat they were served and immediately fell in love with the taste of it, much better than anything he had ever had before. It was much different from what they had in the South Pole.

"I am not sure, but I can ask our chef for you," Zuko responded, glad Sokka and the rest of the gang were enjoying themselves. He wished he could sit back, relax, and smile along with them. He wished he could be as carefree as they were now. But the previous night had left him shaken, and he didn't know how long it would take to recover from it. But while he was stuck in time, the world around him moved forward, and as the Fire Lord, he had to as well.

The room grew quiet, not much noise being made. It seemed like everyone was enjoying their dinner, because no one bothered to start a conversation. But that was fine with him, Zuko knew he'd have to tell them about Mai sooner or later. Eventually it would all come out. For now though, he would let them enjoy their time, because the happiness that hung in the air would disappear once they heard the news.

* * *

After dinner, everyone continued to sit around the dining table, only now their plates were empty and had been taken away just moments earlier. They knew they couldn't be silent any longer, not that any of them had really wanted to be from the beginning. They were all curious how Zuko was doing since they hadn't seen him in a while. He was the one they had the least amount of contact with, since he was the busiest. While he was on their mind, Zuko's mind was mostly on thoughts of telling them about Mai, but he did wonder how they had been too. He figured that would be a good place to start the conversation.

"How have you guys been?"

"Great. After we left the fire nation, we all went our separate ways for a while, visiting our homes," Aang answered. "I mostly just traveled to places that had been affected by the war the most and did my best to help out. As the Avatar, everyone was so enthusiastic to see me, it was a good feeling knowing I was helping them out. Rebuilding cities is a lot easier than saving them."

Zuko nodded. He knew there was a lot to fix after the war. He had been sending out letter after letter to as many places as he could think of that were affected, asking what assistance they may need or what things they could use to help get things back to normal. Some places were damaged and affected greatly, but the world had slowly put itself back together, one little piece at a time. The Avatar's help in these places was appreciated as well.

"But it's good to be back together again, especially to be here with you, Zuko. It's been so long since any of us have seen you. I can't believe how much has changed in just a year."

That's right. Only a year had gone by since the end of the war, and yet so much had changed. It was unbelievable, to everyone. But it was a much needed change and everyone enjoyed seeing it, knowing it meant the beginning of a new era with Zuko as the Fire Lord, leading his nation into peace with the other three. It also meant that a new era was open for the Avatar to shape and change the world as well.

"So what have you been up to, Zuko?" Katara asked.

"Mostly what you would expect. Being Fire Lord is different, and by no means easy, but it is a job that someone must do, and as the heir to the throne it is my duty and I am glad to fulfill it." Zuko wanted to be a part of the solution to the problem that his father had started. He wanted the nations to be one again, to have the whole world be just that, one world with no wars or troubles. He couldn't solve all of the problems, some cities would always have a problem with other cities, but that was something that the leaders of those cities would have to deal with themselves.

"Do you miss getting to travel? I know the feeling of being stuck in a palace all day, and I wouldn't go back to that lifestyle for any reason," Toph said. She had gone to visit her parents when the group split, but when she told them she was leaving to join her friends again, they let her go this time with no restraints. They had grown to understand their daughter better, that she wasn't as fragile and useless as they had thought. After hearing what she done to help end the war, they were more than proud of her. Now they knew that she could handle herself, and that if she needed help she would get it.

Zuko shook his head to her question. "It isn't all bad. I do miss getting to see the world, but helping it is just as rewarding."

More silence. They had covered the major points. Zuko sighed, he knew the time had come. He knew he had to get it over with. "Listen, I didn't just ask you guys to come here to tell you how great the world is doing now and what it's been like as Fire Lord. I'm glad to hear you guys have been good, but unfortunately I have a bigger issue right now that can't be avoided."

"What's wrong?" Zuko wasn't sure who asked the question. This was the moment he had been anticipating all night and it seemed as if the room had floated away, and he was all alone in it. It could've been anyone who asked the question, for they were all thinking the same thing. Zuko expected that. What the group didn't expect was Zuko's response.

"Mai died."


	5. Chapter 4

"Mai's dead?" Katara sputtered out, completely shocked. Minutes had gone by with nobody saying anything, nobody asked a single question. But how could they? They were all rendered speechless by the news. No one had expected to hear that when they came to the palace. They figured this was all going to be a nice visit with their friend. But this was definitely not what they were expecting.

Zuko nodded, confirming their thoughts. He couldn't trust himself to say much right now. He was still in shock himself. Twenty four hours ago he was enjoying dinner with Mai, and now she was dead, gone, taken from him forever. He would never get to hold her, touch her, or kiss her again. He wouldn't get to see her smile again in that way she did when he was around.

More moments went by. The silence was agonizing, but no one knew what to say. None of them knew Mai very well, certainly not as well as Zuko had. But they had grown semi-close to her after the war was over and she was no longer hunting them down with Azula. She and Zuko worked well together and the gang was happy for the couple. The fact that they were a couple made this that much more heart-breaking for them to hear. They wouldn't want to lose their loved one. They couldn't imagine what it is like.

"How'd she die?" Toph said, breaking the silence. She was always the one to do things head on and ask the tough questions.

Zuko shrugged. "We don't know yet. The doctor is examining her and running tests, but so far nothing has come up."

Aang put a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. This must be hard for you."

"Thanks," Zuko said, barely getting it out. He choked back the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes. This was hard for him. Losing someone you love is bad enough, but losing them to an unknown cause is unbearable. If he knew how or why she died, maybe he could come to terms with it. But the unknown was so much worse. Knowing it could be anything made it that much harder to deal with. He sighed and looked up at everyone. "I really hate to do this, but I have a favor to ask of you guys."

"Anything," Sokka responded.

"Would you guys be willing to stick around for a few days and help me get settled into all this and help with some of the work? Mai use to help, but…" he couldn't finish the sentence. It hurt too much to admit that she was gone.

"Of course we will," Aang said, looking around at the others, all nodding their heads in agreement. They would do anything to help their friend in his time of need.

Zuko looked around at everyone. "Thanks guys, this means a lot to me, really."

* * *

Later that night, everyone had scurried off to their guest rooms. Zuko retired to his room, alone. For the first night, he was alone. He would have no one by his side as he slept. He slowly got into his bed and sighed. This would be the hardest night he'd have to get through. He was completely alone this time. This was like no other night he had had to deal with in the past, and his past had been rough.

He turned over and stared at the empty spot next to him. He couldn't bring himself to lie anywhere near it. The space was neat and perfect, not a crease or wrinkle over it. Just another reminder that she wasn't here with him anymore. He missed Mai more and more as each moment passed. Nothing was the same without her with him.

Over in a guest room, Aang laid in bed as Katara stared out the window, up at the sky.

"I can't believe someone would do that," Aang said, referring to whoever had killed Mai. "I don't know why anyone would do that to anyone, let alone the Fire Lord. They'd have to be out of their right mind to do that."

Katara looked over at Aang. "It is a terrible thing. We can't dwell on it too much though. The past is the past. We just have to try and move past it and hope for the best. I just hope Zuko will get better. This has got to be taking a toll on him."

"I'm worried about him. This can't be easy. I can only imagine what it feels like. If I were to lose you…"

"Don't think that way. It's not like I'm going to be around forever anyway. Let's just make the best of what we have right now."

"Are you saying we're going to break up soon or something?"

Katara chuckled. She got up and got into the bed next to Aang. "I'm not saying that, I'm saying that someday I'll die too, although hopefully of a more natural cause. But no matter what happens, we just have to know that the time we have together is well spent."

Aang sighed. "I guess you're right."

With a quick kiss, they both blew out the candles on their bedside tables, and fell asleep.

* * *

"Good morning, Zuko!" Suki said cheerfully as her and everyone else walked into Zuko's study. The room looked just as grand as the rest in the palace, but it wasn't as big. It was more of your average room, with a few extra grandeurs to it. He was sitting at the desk, already starting on his work. He looked like had hadn't gotten any sleep, but he mindlessly did his work either way.

"Good morning everyone. I just want to take a quick moment to thank you guys again for doing this. It truly means a lot to me, and I really appreciate you guys." He sounded tired, but also very formal. He was straining to become the person he was before, the person in power who was in complete control.

"No problem, that's what friends are for," Aang responded. "So what is it you want us to do?"

"Well, I'll just have you guys work on the simple things, that way you don't have to worry too much about messing anything up." He nods in the direction of a huge stack of letters. "I need those sorted out by nation and the ranking of who they're from. Leaders and officials should be on top and commoners toward the bottom of the stack."

The group nodded. One by one they took a seat, grabbed a pile of letters and started sorting them into more piles, more things for Zuko to look at. The life of the Fire Lord was not easy from what they could tell, which made the gang even gladder they could help out. Zuko needed them now, and they would be around for as long as they could to help him. But sooner or later, they would have to leave, and Zuko would be alone once more.


	6. Chapter 5

The moon shone brightly over the land. A full moon, its beauty and bright light magnified the area all around, making it seem more brilliant than it is. The moon was easy to spot, but you could also easily see its reflection in the lake. The reflection sat on top of the water like a flower, undisturbed, except for a few turtle ducks floating right through it. It was as clear as the water that it floated upon.

Katara stared out at the lake, taking in the beauty of everything. She especially enjoyed it, being a water bender. Her power came from this beauty, and she always enjoyed when the full moon was around. It was even better now that she didn't have to unleash mighty waterbending attacks while it was out. Everything was back to its normal state like before the war, and everything was so much calmer now. She felt pure energy coursing through her, the kind you felt when you were in a calm and collected place.

"The moon sure is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"

Katara turned around to face who had spoken to her. She smiled softly when she saw it was Zuko. She turned her attention back to the moon's reflection in the lake. "Yes, it is."

Zuko walked towards Katara and sat down next to her at the edge of the lake. He watched as she swirled her fingers around in the water. The turtle ducks would come and nip at her fingers, but it didn't bother her. She just chuckled at their playfulness.

Things weren't awkward between the two, but it was always strange for the two to be alone together. They had had good times alone together, but the majority were bad. Until Zuko had officially joined their group towards the end of the war, every encounter they had was unpleasant. One moment always came right to mind; when Katara and Zuko were trapped together in the crystalline cave. It had started out good, their first since meeting, but it had taken a turn for the worse. Zuko had almost had his chance to be healed, too, but he messed that up as well.

* * *

"Why did they throw you in here? Oh wait, let me guess. It's a trap. So when Aang shows up to rescue me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches." Katara glared at Zuko. How could this be happening? Not only had she been captured, but now she was stuck with the one person who had followed them all around the world just to capture Aang. Zuko turned to look at her, but turned back. Katara rolled her eyes and continued her rant. "You're a terrible person, you know that? Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Zuko responded. She didn't know what he had been through, everything he had suffered thanks to his father. He hated that so many people compared him to that monster.

"I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through, me personally. The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

"I'm sorry. That's something we have in common."

Katara looked over at Zuko and finally met his eyes. What was he talking about? He had no idea what she had been through. As she looked in his eyes though, she had a feeling that maybe he did know, that he did understand what she had been dealing with all these years.

Katara crouched down and stared at the ground. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It doesn't matter," Zuko said gruffly.

"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face."

Zuko placed a hand on his face, near his scar. He let the rough feel of the burned skin embrace his fingertips. "My face. I see."

Katara looked up and shook her head, regretting her words. "No, no, that's not what I meant."

"It's ok. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

"Maybe you could be free of it."

Zuko looked over at Katara, unsure hope filling his eyes. "What?"

"I have healing abilities."

"It's a scar. It can't be healed." All hope left him once again.

Katara grabbed the crystal that hung from a necklace that she had received at the North Pole and walked over to Zuko, holding it up for him to see. "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I have be saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but…"Zuko didn't have much hope that it would work, but he'd take the chance if she was willing to give it to him. He closed his eyes as Katara placed her hand over his scar. But before she could even try to use the special water, Aang broke in through one of the walls, with Iroh and Toph following behind him. After that, Zuko's weakness came back, and his hatred for Aang and the gang returned.

* * *

Katara looked up at Zuko. "So I don't know if you know this, but we can't stay for much longer." She hated having to break the news to him. She wanted to stay and help more, as did the rest of the crew, but there were other places to be and more things to do. She wished she could stay, but by being with Aang she had to follow with him and wherever his Avatar duties took him.

"I know. I knew it wouldn't last long. But…Katara?"

"Yes, Zuko?"

"I hate to ask this of you, but when everyone leaves, would you be able to stay behind at all? I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary, but Mai was such a big help with things, and with her gone…" Zuko couldn't finish the sentence. Water was brimming over his eyes but he wiped it away with his sleeve, but not quick enough that Katara didn't catch it.

Katara placed a hand on Zuko's lap comfortingly. "I would be more than happy to."

Zuko smiled faintly at Katara. A glimmer of his old self. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Katara was glad Zuko had asked her to stay behind. The only problem now was how she was going to break the news to the others.


	7. Chapter 6

"What?" Sokka screamed. It wasn't a horror movie scream, just one out of surprise and shock. His voice was elevated and anybody near the room from the outside would be able to hear him. "You're staying here once we leave? We can't leave without you!"

Katara nodded and looked at everyone in the room. They had all gathered in her and Aang's room so she could tell them her plans to stay at the palace and help Zuko once they had all left. "Zuko needs the help, and he asked me to help him, I have to stay." No matter how many times she explained this to her brother, he would never fully understand.

"You want to separate yourself from us? From me? We need you back home, Katara."

"Sokka, don't be ridiculous, I'm not going to be gone forever. This is just a temporary thing until Zuko feels well enough to do things on his own again. It's a lot of work and having an extra hand will help a lot. Our tribe will be fine without me for a few months."

Sokka had his mouth open, hand up, ready for another retort, but before he could say anything, Aang interrupted him. "If you feel that it is necessary to stay here then we won't be the ones to stop you."

"Thank you Aang," Katara said. Sokka sighed and left the room, unable to deal with his sister and the always-taking-her-side Avatar. The rest followed behind him, except for one.

"Katara, look, I understand why you're doing this, but this is a huge commitment. You don't know how long Zuko will need your help for. It could be weeks, months, even years. There's still a lot of stuff to take care of from the war, are you sure you can handle all of that? Can you handle being away from your family and friends for that long?"

Katara faced Aang. "I know it seems like a lot, but we can't leave our friend alone, especially when he's going through such a rough time. It wouldn't be right."

"Then I'll stay with you, what better help to have than the Avatar?"

"No, Aang," Katara said, shaking her head. "You need to be elsewhere, because you're the Avatar. You're needed all around the world, to help with the rebuilding and peace making between the cities and nations."

"What about us though? How is this going to work if we're half way across the world from one another for such a long time?"

Katara sighed. "That was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. I think maybe this would be a good time for a break."

Aang couldn't believe Katara was suggesting that they break up. He couldn't begin to imagine where the thought was coming from. They had been together since after the ending of the war, and things had been good. No problems, no fights, nothing. Everything was going well, up until now it anyway. "Do you really mean that Katara?"

Katara turned away, unable to face Aang. She hated hurting him. "Yes, Aang. I think it's the best for you and me. For us."

Aang stood there in silence for a moment, just staring at Katara. She continued to avoid his gaze, unable to look at him. The hurt in his eyes would be too much for her to handle right now. "Well, ok then, if that's what you want." With that, Aang left the room, leaving Katara alone.

* * *

Sokka held his sister close as he hugged her goodbye. "Take care, and stay out of trouble."

Korra smiled at her brother and gave him one last squeeze. She released her grip and stepped back from her brother. "I will. Tell father and Gran-Gran not to worry and that I will see them soon enough."

Sokka nodded and walked over to Appa, where he hopped on with everybody else. Only Aang needed to get on and then they could be off, but he lingered on the ground. Katara walked over to him and gave Aang a small smile. "I hope everything goes well where ever you go, Aang."

Aang nodded. Without any words at all, he got up onto the front of Appa and took hold of the reins. "Yip-yip!" Appa soared into the air, and within a few seconds, they were high into the sky, flying away from the Fire Nation, leaving Katara and Zuko behind.

Zuko walked up to Katara, having said his goodbyes to the group as a whole beforehand. "Look, it's not too late. If this isn't what you want to do, you don't have to stay here, I can-"

"I want to stay and I want to help. Don't worry so much," Katara said, interrupting Zuko's mini rant.

Zuko nodded. "Alright." He looked into the distance where the sun was beginning to set, the orange and yellows fading into the horizon as navy blue and black began to take over the sky. "You should get some sleep then. Tomorrow, the real work begins."

Katara nodded and the two headed back to the palace, each making their way to their own rooms.

Once Zuko was ready for bed, he blew out the candle that was on the nightstand and crawled into bed. He knew it was useless, he wouldn't get much sleep, he hadn't ever since Mai died. Whenever he fell asleep, he had nightmares that only made him wake up shortly after. His sheets would be a mess and he'd be covered in sweat. It had been a restless time since her death. But something about sleeping alone was just so unnerving, it almost worried Zuko, to think that he may be next, that they weren't just after Mai.


	8. Chapter 7

The day was the same as any other. Well, any other of recent time. Zuko and Katara sat in his study, spending another day going through all of the junk that Zuko had to go through. He never knew how much work went in to being the Firelord. He had never seen his father do this. But he figured this was what he was doing when Zuko didn't see him, which was often. He was also planning a war, which was probably a little less stressful and time demanding than trying to repair the damage from one. But Zuko had to, he wanted to make amends for what his father had done and bring balance back to the world.

Katara's eyes scanned over letter after letter. Each day, Zuko would receive a handful of letters about small issues from smaller towns and cities throughout the world. He left Katara the job to read over them and inform him about what's going on. From there he would decide what to do and which places needed help or just needed a written response back.

"Hey Zuko," Katara said, looking up at him as she held a letter in her hands. "Can I read you this real quick? I'm not sure what you want to do about this and it's different from any of the other letters."

Zuko looks up from what he is working on and nods, giving his attention to Katara. She really had been a big help during the time she had stayed to help him so far. She was always working hard, and she was willing to help him with any of the work, even some of the really boring stuff. It made Zuko's days somewhat shorter and easier to manage. It was also nice to have a friend to talk to, about just simple things. It helped him take his mind off of the fact that Mai, the one person who he truly loved, wasn't here with him anymore.

"_Dear Firelord Zuko," _Katara starts, reading straight from the letter. "_Thank you for your continued help in bringing our town back from its state during the war. It is now thriving and full of bustle and happiness thanks to your help within the Earth Kingdom. I regrettably write this letter to inform you that the leader of our town has passed away. It was a sad death, by poison. We don't know who did it or why, we are just sad to think about him being gone. He had always wanted to meet you and thank you himself for the kindness you have shown us after the war. Please accept this invitation to his funeral and we hope that you may find time to come and wish him well in his next life."_

Zuko sighed. He got plenty of letters from people asking if he would come and visit their towns. It wasn't that he didn't want to, he enjoyed going to see those who he had helped, but he had so much to do still and needed to stay at the palace. This was a new one though. It made him feel even worse knowing that someone so important had died. It reminded him of the one who he had lost recently. At least they knew why their leader had died, he was still lost as to how Mai, was who completely healthy and well, could have died so suddenly.

"Poison," Zuko mumbled. "That just sounds painful."

Katara shrugged, setting the letter down on the desk in front of her. "Well, compared to a lot of things that could happen, it's probably one of the best for the person who was dying. Death is a horrible thing all around, but poison is practically painless and very discreet. It's hard to discover because it's clear so it could be put in anything, like the person's food or drink."

Zuko looked over at Katara, a suspicion nagging at the back of his mind. "How do you know so much about poison?"

Katara looked back down at the letter. "I've picked up a thing or two about it from my time working with the healers in the Water Tribes."

Zuko sighed. "Alright, well, I'll write a response for that later. Will you set it aside for me so I don't forget?"  
Katara nodded, putting it into the pile of the more important papers. She then continued to look through the rest of the letters as Zuko went back to his own work.

* * *

Zuko looked around his workroom. It was much quieter since Katara had left. It was late at night, and it was always this way. He wouldn't make Katara stay late into the night to do stuff, it was just stuff that only he could work on anyway. He continued his work in silence when the door opened and in walked a figure. Zuko didn't even bother to look up, just figuring it was Katara. "What is it?" he asked with a bored tone to his voice.

"Firelord Zuko, we have the results from Mai's autopsy." Zuko looked up to see that it wasn't Katara, but the doctor with whom he had met with when he first found Mai in her dying state. Zuko gestured to the chair in front of him and set down his work, giving his full attention to the doctor. This was the news he had been waiting for what seemed like forever to hear. He would finally know what killed his precious Mai, and then maybe he could figure out who did it, or better yet, why.

The doctor sat down in front of Zuko, setting some papers down in front of him. Zuko looked them over quickly while he talked, but none of the stuff made sense to him. He figured the doctor just had them in case he wanted to see the results and exam information in a physical form, not just from what he said. "We cannot be one hundred percent sure because it is a tricky matter we are dealing with, but we believe it was poison that killed her. After running tests on her blood, we found toxins that were surely running throughout her entire system, which is what caused the slow death in which she dealt with."

Zuko looked up at the doctor quickly as he mentioned poison. He remembered something from that night when she died and with something that Katara mentioned earlier. With his thoughts he began to put two and two together. "What is poison like? What ways could it have gotten into her system?"

"It's a clear substance, very hard to obtain. It's usually kept for injections for those who are being put to death for crimes in some places. When it's found in cases like this, it is generally done by people who got a hold of the poison by stealing it from these medical facilities. Aside from injection, it could be put into a source of food or drink and from there can enter the body."

Zuko nodded, listening carefully and taking in what the doctor has to say. "I think you're right to believe that it was poison that killed her. I remember that night she had a glass of water sitting on her bedside table."

"That would surely do it then. I think we can easily rule that that is the source from which the poison that was in her body came from. It's gone now, correct?"

Zuko nodded. He didn't think they would need her glass of water for this sort of thing.

"Well, with it being gone, we can't run any tests to be completely sure, but I think we have enough evidence to support the idea and with no other things being wrong with her, that is our best bet as to why she died."

Zuko sighed as the doctor got up, gathering his papers back up. "Thank you. I appreciate everything you've done to help."

"Of course, Firelord," the doctor said as he bowed. He then turned and left the room, leaving Zuko alone with his thoughts.

_Mai died from poison, it sounds a lot like what Katara said earlier about that town leader. But how could she have known so much about poison, healers wouldn't deal with it much, and she couldn't have been with them long enough to come across that many cases dealing with it. _Zuko got up and left his study, his mind still alive with thoughts from the recent revelation. He wouldn't be able to get any more work done tonight anyway with the way his mind was going. He couldn't get the thoughts out of his head. He couldn't wrap his brain around it. Who would want to kill Mai? She was very close to the Firelord, but why would anyone feel the need to kill her? Out of jealousy, of need? Would they come after him next?


	9. Chapter 8

Zuko made his way down the hall away from his room towards Katara's. Maybe she would be able to help him think through his thoughts, especially since she mysteriously knew so much poison, maybe this would all make more sense to her.

He knocked on her door. When he heard no response, he opened it slightly and peeked in. He figured he would find her asleep, but to his surprise, she wasn't even in her room. He opened the door further and walked in, looking around in a complete circle. The room was dark, and she was nowhere to be found.

_Where could she have gone?_ Zuko asked himself. It wasn't like there was anywhere to go in the palace, and there wasn't much to do outside of the palace that was close by. As he looked around the room, he spotted her bag sitting wide open on her bed. A piece of parchment sticks out from it, looking very crinkled and torn around the edges. He knew it was wrong to look at it, but curiosity got the better of him. It was Katara, he didn't expect anything bad from her.

As he looked over the document after removing it carefully from the bag, his eyes grew big as he read over it. This had to be a coincidence. This couldn't be what he thought it was. If it was, then that meant that Mai's killer's identity was closer to being discovered than he had originally thought…

* * *

Suspicion clouded Zuko's mind as he made his way to his study where Katara surely was, already awake and working. Usually Zuko was tired and only about half there in the mornings. He never got much sleep, what with all his work and Mai's death which still haunted him. Last night wasn't any different, but he was fired up. This was the confrontation he had been waiting for since the night he lost his love.

Zuko walked into his study and his eyes went straight to Katara, who looked up at him with a smile, just like she did every morning. Her smile began to vanish as she stared at Zuko though. The expression that was on his face was different from all the mornings before when he came in. Instead of a tired, kind of out of it expression, it was full of fire and fury today. Zuko knew things, things he was unsure about, but he was going to get to the bottom of all of this.

"Hey Zuko, is everything alright?" Katara asked, looking nervous as she continued to stare at Zuko.

Zuko shook his head. "No, not really. Yesterday I found out how Mai died, soon after finding this in your room." He held up the paper that he had found in her bag. He knew he shouldn't have taken it, but he didn't want to lose it. It may be just what he needs to prove what happened that night. After looking it over and thinking about all the discussions he had had yesterday, he thought he may have come to a clear conclusion of this whole situation.

"You went through my stuff?" Katara asked, offended, not even bothering to hide the fact that it was hers. She didn't think Zuko would think much of it. But as she looked closer, she realized which paper it was, and her eyes flooded with horror.

"Not on purpose. I was looking for you and I went to your room. You weren't there, and I saw this hanging out of your bag. I was just looking a little, but as I was, suspicion was clouded all around this paper, just like it is around you right now."

"Zuko, what are you talking about?"

"Why did you break up with Aang?"

Katara sighed. Zuko had finally lost it. She knew it was a matter of time. Mai's death really had affected him. She'd just have to keep up her act. "It would be hard for us to keep a relationship if we were halfway around the world from one another for an unknown amount of time."

"Then how did you guys manage to keep it up while you were in the Water Tribes doing healing if he was out around the world after the war?"

"It wasn't like it was that long that we were away…"

"And you thought you'd be here for a long time?"

Katara shrugged. "I guess, but…"

"How did you learn so much about poison from your time healing? From what the doctor told me yesterday, it sounds like a very uncommon thing that isn't used much except for by medical professionals and the people who steal it."

"You met with a doctor yesterday?"

Zuko nodded. "Yes, he said that the most likely cause of Mai's death was by poison. They found toxins in her body. After I told him that there was a glass of water by her bed, he said that that was most likely the source of how the poison got into her body."

"Well at least you know what happened then. Did he have any ideas of who could have done it?"

"No, but I have a pretty good guess myself."

"Who?"

"Like you don't already know. Katara, cut it out, I know why you're here. You can't keep up this act."

Katara's act of cool melted away as panic began to take over some. "Are you saying I did this?"

"Not directly, but you played a role in this. Admit it, I have all the proof I need, you can't talk your way around this!"

"What proof? I wasn't even here that night!"

"No, but this letter seems to come from a well-known and very secretive assassin who I happen to know resides here in the Fire Nation. We've never been able to catch him, unfortunately, but I would recognize this document anywhere. I've seen it from many other cases before. It's the same agreement document that he seems to give to all of the people that hire him."

"So what are you saying?"

"You hired the assassin who killed Mai, Katara. You hired him to put poison into Mai's water that night, so that way when she drank it, she would die. The poison couldn't be seen in the water so it would seem like it was something unknown altogether. And then when I invited all of you here, you jumped right at the opportunity to stay behind with me, leaving Aang in the process in hopes to get closer to me. You wanted Mai gone so that way you could be the one here with it. Just admit it, I've figured it all out."

Katara sighed, throwing her hands up. "Fine, I guess you do have figured it out. I did it, I did all of that. I really didn't think you would see through all of it, but I guess I was mistaken."

"Why, Katara? Why would you kill Mai? Why would think that with her gone, I would want you instead?"

"We made a great team! Didn't you see it? I know I hated you for so long thanks to your constant chasing us, but that all changed when you joined up with us. You actually helped. You helped me discover who killed my parents. You even helped me realize a thing or two about myself. And then we came here, and brought Azula down, together! It was perfect, and then Mai came back in and you two were inseparable from then on. I've wanted her gone since then, and when I happened to come across this opportunity, I figured it was worth a shot."

"So this is all of jealousy? Of you just wanting to be with me?"

Katara shrugged. "People do crazy things when they want someone. I guess I'm just another one of those fools."

Zuko sighed and turned and went out of the room. Katara didn't move, her eyes not leaving the door. She didn't know what Zuko was doing, but he would be back soon, and it surely didn't involve anything good coming for her.


	10. Epilogue

People were gathered around, people she didn't know. The occasional flash created a blinding light that left spots as she blinked her eyes. She swiveled her head, looking around the room that she had already memorized. It was box shaped, perfectly square, nice and bright with rows of lights on the ceiling, along with white walls and floor. It seemed like a place for crazy people to stay at, which wasn't far off. She was crazy, but she never thought the place that she would be taken to die would be so bright. It should be dark, a place where no one could see her suffer.

But of course, that wasn't how these things work. She was a killer. She hadn't done it herself, but she had been involved, and had also refused to give away the location of the person who had done it. She didn't know where she would find him anyway, he was long gone. This is where killers were brought. This is where she belonged now.

She could hear the clock from the other side of the glass window where the people sat. It ticked slowly, it killed her to listen. She couldn't stand it. It was the countdown to her death, and it was the worst sound she had ever heard. What made this whole thing worse though was that all these strangers were just sitting on the other side, watching her, staring at her, judging her. She had no control, she didn't understand why they were even allowed to watch and take pictures of her. But as a criminal, she figured it was for the news, to report the end of the person who played a part in killing the Firelord's girlfriend.

Her eyes were suddenly glued to the man who walked in. He came in silently from the back, nobody noticing his entrance. He stared right at her, a cold look on his face. She couldn't tell if he was glaring or not, it seemed like he was, but it didn't matter whether he was or not. This was the man whom she'd killed another woman for, and now she was going to die as well.

She turned to the side as she heard the door from within her room open. Her eyes never left the man as he walked toward her and laid out his few supplies on the table next to where she sat with her body bound to the chair. She couldn't move a muscle, which is just what these people needed to finish her. He rubbed some stuff on her arm before slowly placing a needle inside of her, pushing the clear liquid into her. Once done, he removed it, packed up his stuff and left the room. The door's closing echoed across the room, bouncing between the walls.

She laughed lowly to herself. It was ironic that her target was killed by poison, and she was now suffering the same fate. She looked back through the window to the crowd on the other side. Her vision was beginning to get foggy, she couldn't think clearly, it was as if her thoughts were miles away from her brain. She felt her eyes flutter shut. Before they did, she saw the man leave. His expression didn't change. She didn't think that he was happy that she was dying, but it had to bring him some small, sick pleasure knowing that he got his revenge for her killing his girlfriend. If only he hadn't found out, then none of this would have happened, and maybe she could've had her chance with him.

Life just doesn't work out that way though.

* * *

**A/N: So I've been getting some mixed reviews after the last chapter, and I just wanted to clarify a few things. I know this story is very OOC, but I've had this story idea for years, so I've always wanted to write it and finish it. It seems very OOC to me too, but I hope it was still enjoyable to read and thank you to everyone who read and reviewed during the time of this story!**


	11. Alternate Ending

**A/N: So I had been debating whether to write my alternate ending to this story, and after talking to some reviewers I decided to. This is the original idea for the ending of the story, but I chose the to use the other ending because this one seems even more OOC and crazy, but I still love the idea. I hope you have all enjoyed this story and thanks for all your reviews and love, it has been great hearing it and writing for you all!**

* * *

Katara's eyes blinked open as she woke up the next morning. The sun was shining in through the curtains, just like any other day. But today felt different. She didn't know what it was, but something felt wrong. It was worse than how yesterday ended.

Katara hadn't seen Zuko for the rest of the day after he got the truth out of her, after he learned that she was the one who was behind Mai's death. She figured he was going to have the guards come and take her away, lock her in her room, throw her in prison, anything. But he did nothing. He had left the room, went to an unknown place, and left Katara alone. After a bit of time she had went and wandered through the palace, but she didn't find him anywhere.

She got up out of her bed, not bothering to make it this morning. She didn't feel it was necessary. Something wasn't right about the air in the palace. It was different from any other day she had been here. She left her room and began roaming the palace, looking in every room trying to find Zuko. She needed to talk to him and explain to him why she had done it. She had got the gist out to him yesterday, but he needed to listen to her calmly and try to understand where she was coming from. She had never meant to hurt him, she had only hoped for better things for him, and for herself.

After a while of looking, Katara made her way to the last place she could think that Zuko might be. She had meant to avoid this room if she could, but it was her last resort. She sighed, and knocked at the door. When she heard no response, she opened it. She wasn't surprised to find Zuko's bedroom empty. He had completely disappeared, and she didn't blame him.

She walked further into the room, examining it. She had never been in it before, but she knew that this was the place where Mai had died. The sin she had committed had taken place in this room, even if she hadn't been present for it.

A piece of paper caught her eye against the red of the room. It sat on one of the nightstands next to the bed. It was just a regular piece of paper, but it seemed to radiate some kind of glow. It was important, and it was placed there for her. She had a feeling about it.

She walked over and picked it up, sitting down on the bed as she began to read it. Her eyes widened in surprise as she read through it. She couldn't believe what she was reading. This couldn't be real, this couldn't be true. There is no way this is happening. If what the paper said was true, it meant that everything she had done was for nothing.

_Katara,_

_I will never be able to understand why you did what you did or what would possess you to think to go to those extremes. I had always thought of you as a close friend and as a kind, caring person, but now I do not know what to think of you._

_This may come as quite a shock, and to be honest, I don't know why I am doing it. But this whole scenario needs closure, and this seems fair. I'm sure you've heard of the phrase 'an eye for an eye'. Well, this is your punishment. In return for taking the life of the person I loved, I will take the life of the person you love; myself._

_I wish you well in whatever you decide to do with your life form this point forward. But never forget the wrong that you've done. I know first-hand that the bad things you do will always haunt you._

_-Zuko_

She believed him. After reading the last line of his letter, it was like a cloud had formed over her head. She was hidden in darkness, and had nowhere to go from here. She felt a tear roll down her face. This was the end.


End file.
